1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-media messages and more specifically to a system and method of customizing the creation and sending of multi-media messages.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There is a growing popularity for text-to-speech (“TTS”) enabled systems that combine voice with a “talking head” or a computer-generated face that literally speaks to a person. Such systems improve user experience with a computer system by personalizing the exchange of information. Systems for converting text into speech are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,173,263 B1 to Alistair Conkie, assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a system and method of performing concatenative speech synthesis. The contents of this patent are incorporated herein by reference.
One example associated with the creation and delivery of e-mails using a TTS system is LifeFX™'s Facemail™. FIG. 1 illustrates how a sender creates a message using the LifeFX™ system. A window 10 presents fields for inserting the sender's e-mail address 12 and the recipient's e-mail address 14. Standard features such as control buttons 16 for previewing and delivering the multi-media message are provided. A standard subject line is also provided 18. The sender chooses from a variety of faces 20 to deliver the message. The currently chosen face 22 appears in the window 10 as well. The sender inserts the message text as with a traditional e-mail in a text area 24 and a box 26 below the text area gives illustrations of some of the available emoticons, explained further below.
This system enables a sender to write an e-mail and choose a talking head or “face” to deliver the e-mail. The recipient of the e-mail needs to download special TTS software in order to enable the “face” to deliver the message. The downloaded software converts the typewritten e-mail from the e-mail sender into audible words, and synchronizes the head and mouth movements of the talking head to match the audibly spoken words. Various algorithms and software may be used to provide the  TS function as well as the synchronization of the speech with the talking head. For example, the article, “Photo-realistic Talking-heads From Image Samples,” by E. Cosatto and H. P. Graf, IEEE Transactions on Multimedia, September 2000, Vol. 2, Issue 3, pages 152-163, describes a system for creating a realistic model of a head that can be animated and lip-synched from phonetic transcripts of text. The contents of this article are incorporated herein by reference. Such systems, when combined with TTS synthesizers, generate video animations of talking heads that resemble people. One drawback of related systems is that the synthesized voice bears no resemblance to the sender voice.
The LifeFX™ system presents the user with a plurality of faces 20 from which to choose. Once a face is chosen, the e-mail sender composes an e-mail message. Within the e-mail, the sender inserts features to increase the emotion showed by the computer-generated face when the e-mail is “read” to the e-mail recipient. For example, the following will result in the message being read with a smile at the end: “Hi, how are you today?:-)”. These indicators of emotion are called “emoticons” and may include such features as: :-( (frown); -o (wow); :-x (kiss); and ;-) (wink). The e-mail sender will type in these symbols which are translated by the system into the emotions. Therefore, after composing a message, inserting emoticons, and choosing a face, the sender sends the message. The recipient will get an e-mail with a notification that he or she has received a facemail and that they will need to download a player to hear the message.
The LifeFX™ system presents its emoticons when delivering the message in a particular way. For example, when an emoticon such as a smile is inserted in the sentence “Hi, Jonathon, :-) how are you today?” the “talking head” 22 speaks the words “Hi, Jonathan” and then stops talking and begins the smiling operation. After finishing the smile, the talking head completes the sentence “how are you today?”
The LifeFX™ system only enables the recipient to hear the message after downloading the appropriate software. There are several disadvantages to delivering multi-media messages in this manner. Such software requires a large amount of disc space and the recipient may not desire to utilize his or her space with the necessary software. Further, with viruses prevalent on the Internet, many people are naturally reluctant to download software when they are unfamiliar with its source.
FIG. 2 illustrates a received Facemail™ 40. The chosen talking head 22 delivers the message. Buttons such as “say again” 42, “new” 44, “forward” 26, “reply” 48, “reply all” 50, and “show text” 52 enable the recipient to control to some degree how the message is received. Buttons 42, 44, 46, 48 and 50 are commonly used button features for controlling messages. Button 52 allows the user to read the text of the message. When button 52 is clicked, the text of the message is shown in a window illustrated in FIG. 3. A separate window 54 pops up typically over the talking head 22 with the text. When the window is moved or does not cover the talking head, the sound continues but if the mouth of the talking head is showing, it is clear that when the text box is up, the mouth stops moving.